Abstract of a color processor inside the human brain.
Makes me wonder about how well we express color.
Image: Frank Bonilla Abstracts.tv | Flickr

How do you, as an architect, get to the bottom of what your occupants really need and want? Do you do this mostly be talking with them? Presenting different architectural design schemes to see which one they like best? Or do you study their behavior to understand what moves them with regard to the things that cannot be expressed by mere words?

I recently came across this quote that I thought might be an interesting place to begin a discussion about environmental psychology for architects:

“Research shows that only 5% of what the average person thinks can be expressed verbally. […] The other 95% is hidden deep within the subconscious.”

– Click here to read the article.

If the above statistic is true, then how do you as a designer wrap your head around the other 95% underlying what your occupants really want? Also, how can you increase the chances of creating a design that will, in fact, work — adding behavioral, emotional and intellectual response to what goes into making an architecture work functionally successful?

Five Techniques to Leverage Your Architectural Design Efforts

The following are five tips to help you, as an architect, incorporate key architectural psychology design principles while you design. These can be great starting points to shift your mindset — and can especially be coupled with your programming efforts: Read more

Image: Erdosain | Dreamstime

This article is the second article in a three part series. To read the first article in the series, please click on the link below:

• Previous Article: Designing Architecture for a Sense of Building Safety — Part 1

SAFETY INSIDE AND OUT

In my previous article entitled Designing Architecture for a Sense of Safety — Part 1, I explained why the “context” surrounding your building is so important. This led to my discussing “The Big Question” that cuts to the heart of what your building is truly promoting — fortress-like protection or a shelter that also provides a sense of safety which spreads into the surrounding community.

It is so important to provide your visitors with a sense of safety through your architectural designs. Of course, the way you go about doing this can take different forms, but there are some overriding principles that can help your building to foster these feelings of safety. This involves building an environment which promotes trust by building community. (1)

IN AN IDEAL WORLD

Many buildings today, depending on their surroundings and context, seek to have a presence which is unique, safe and extends out into the community.

Yet, in some places around the world, crime is rising to a point that is “forcing” designers to turn their built environments inward, to shut their occupants out from their surroundings. Yes, this is a form of protection, but does it really provide occupants with feelings of safety? And is this “gated-type” approach truly helping the overall problem? (1)

In an ideal world, buildings should Read more